


Let me in, Let me lie

by Ironic_Swag7782



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Whump, Florida, Fuck Sazed (The Adventure Zone), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, Psychological Trauma, Recovery, Romance, Summer, Summer Romance, Trauma, florida be wylin, taako got issues babey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 08:17:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15408816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironic_Swag7782/pseuds/Ironic_Swag7782
Summary: Taako is a recently divorced man living in Florida, with his sister Lup, having moved from Minnesota. He can’t help but notice the man who looks like he was born a dad, in obnoxiously loud Hawaiian shirts. Whilst learning to deal with the heat, and get over his divorce, Taako accidentally falls in love. Whoops.





	Let me in, Let me lie

“Why is it so hot?” Lup complains, seemingly as loudly as she can, draped across the love chair. 

It was annoying, her complaining, but he knew where it was coming from. This heat wasn’t something they had ever been used to, in Minnesota. They’d adjusted to layers of clothing, heavy snowfall, and mild temperatures in summer. It got hot, sure, but not like this. 

Florida had been a decision they’d been planning on for a while, however a plan that would take a while to actually put in place. A year in the making, and now they were finally here. Boxes of their stuff – Lup owning considerably more than Taako – were scattered around the apartment, barely unpacked. 

“It’s gonna be like this for ageeeessss.” She complains again, and Taako rolls his eyes and tries to ignore her and read. 

“Would you rather go back to Minnesota?” He asks, and that shuts her up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go for the low blow.” 

She shakes her head. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t wanna go back anyway.” 

A mosquito buzzes by his left ear, the sudden noise startling him. When nothing happens, he lets himself relax. He’s getting to ansty in here, cooped up in the apartment, he decides. He has to get out, even if just for a little walk. So, he steps out, almost backing out when he realises how humid it is outside. When he sees him, he’s almost bowled over by just the sight of the man. He’s impossible to miss, in an extremely loud Hawaiian shirt, bright yellow and blue and cargo shorts, of all things. He debates in his head scoffing, and moving on, but something compels him to stay when the man starts conversation with him, at 10am on a Saturday, of all times. 

“Hi, you must be new here, right? I saw you moving in,” The man, oddly enough, seems completely genuine. There’s nothing behind his smile or in his pockets or behind him-  
“Your moving truck, that is. I haven’t seen you yet.” 

Taako doesn’t say anything for a good thirty seconds, mostly out of a mix of surprise and uncertainty. He smiles and tilts his head in the way that usually throws people off, and says; 

“Oh, yeah, we’re undercover cops working a case and we have to assume fake identities. To catch a serial killer, y’know?” The face looking back at him seems to be in limbo of confusion, amusement, or something else. He sighs when he realises the other man isn’t getting the joke. “Kidding. I’m living here with my sibling. Just got divorced, you know how it is.” 

“Oh!” The man laughs. Dammit. “I’m Kravitz. Sorry to here about your divorce. Why’d you move here, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

You mean, why’d he move hours from his home, from his ex-husband, from everything? To get as far away as possible? Ha, Taako’s done enough psychology to know he’s running as far as he can, he’s not an idiot, and doesn’t need a smartass who thinks they know more than him to tell him that. 

“Just wanted something new. Experience single life, where it isn’t awkward if I bump into him.” And if Taako still hesitated when he thought about his ex-husband, Kravitz doesn’t mention it. 

“That makes sense.” Kravitz says, then turns to greet another woman walking up behind him. “I guess I’ll see you around. I’d like to meet your sister, too!”  
He’s gone. 

 

Taako finds Lup having a conversation with Kravitz the next morning. Damn. He knew he shouldn’t have slept in, and woken up before Lup. He flies out the apartment, the end of his dressing gown billowing behind him, and slipping on a pair of slippers before he goes. 

“Good morning, both of you.” He says, shooting a look at Lup, hoping she gets the point. She does, but Kravitz also seems to pick up on the awkwardness that’s materialised since Taako showed up. 

“I’m going to go. Gotta get to work. Have a good day.” He says pleasantly, if a little awkwardly, with a nervous pause in the middle. But that’s just it. He doesn’t deserve this life. This – domestic living with his sister, in a lovely neighbourhood and apartment and a kind, hot, more than a little dorky neighbour, he doesn’t deserve any of it. 

Lup waits until Kravitz has gone, before angrily turning to him, punching him – not hard, he’s sure to notice that. 

“C’mon, man! I was about to get his number!” 

“Lup, leave him alone. Be friends with him, text him, whatever, I don’t care. But don’t try to hook me up with him,” Lup opens her mouth to speak, but Taako cuts her off. “We talked about this. In Minnesota. I don’t want another man.” 

“Why not? Who said you had to date him anyway, maybe I was getting you a friend.” 

“I don’t need one!” 

“What’s this really about, Taako?” Lup says, her voice dropping low. “What, do you think he’s going to do the same thing Sa -”

“Don’t. Don’t bring this up now, Lup,” Taako turns away, heading back for the apartment. Lup tries to say something to him, but he’s already back in the apartment. 

And honestly, he’s only been sitting down for three minutes when his phone goes off, and an unknown number shows up, above a text reading; 

Hi, Lup gave me your number. Just texting you to say hi. Your sister’s really nice.  
~ Kravitz

He gives the most dramatic groan he has in him, hanging off the sofa edge as he reads the text over and over. Fine. He’ll reply, but only to get Kravitz off his tail. Maybe even apologise if that’s what he needs to do. 

How rude. Either way, u probably shouldn’t message me. Sorry for glaring at you 2day. 

The reply is almost instant – Taako tries not to think of the image of Kravitz staring at his phone, waiting for a reply – after only a few seconds, there’s a message back.  
It’s fine. I want to message you, but I won’t if you don’t want me to. 

Jesus Christ, this guy is so respectful. What was up with that? He wasn’t complaining, per se, but it was… surreal. 

That’s why he’s getting his phone again, and replying to his message. He’d only intended to tell him to go away, perhaps in fouler language, yet here he was. Asking about Kravitz, to Kravitz. 

Fuck. 

 

He spends a few days like this. Texting Kravitz, like he’s some teenager falling in love again and he hates it. Every second of it. It’s not like every time he opens his phone to see another message he gets this little feeling at the bottom of his stomach, like a long-forgotten beast waking up after months of repressing it. 

Taako, I’d really like it if we could meet up. I feel we got off on the wrong foot.  
\- Kravitz

Taako still laughs every time Kravitz ends a text, of all things, by signing his name. It’s just so formal and polite it does weird things to his chest again. 

Sure. Out for a drink? 

And if he agrees to the meeting, it’s only to get this thing out of his system. Whatever it is, and he will not say it’s love. He barely knows the guy, for god’s sake. Even if the voice in his head is screaming at him by now, telling him what he’s doing it a BAD idea. But since when did he listen to that voice?

 

Lup raises an eyebrow as he leaves the apartment, and that’s what makes him realise perhaps he’s overdone it. 

“No, you’re right. It’s too much.” He falls down onto a chair, skirt falling around him. 

“It’s not. I think you look lovely,” Lup smiles, like she knows something he doesn’t. “I was just wondering… Wellllllll – I was right about Kravitz, wasn’t I?” 

“No. Yes. I don’t know!” Taako sighs, dramatically. “He’s really nice, but he’s going to realise that I – we – aren’t who we say we are. Then he’ll… Leave. I guess.” 

“You can be really dense sometimes. He likes you. A lot. You gotta be blind to not see that.” Lup rolls her eyes. “I’ve watched you smile and laugh at your phone for like, a week, please go on a date with him. I’m begging you. For my sake.” 

He breathes out a laugh and stands up again. 

“Okay. For your sake.” 

“And Taako?” Lup says, just as he’s about to go out the door. “Kravitz is a nice guy. I promise, my word, he won’t hurt you.”  
“We’ll find out.” Taako responds, but he gives her a reassuring smile as he leaves. 

 

As it turns out, Lup was right. Not that he’d ever say that. But Kravitz was a gentleman, holding doors open, pulling out the chair for Taako, kind to waiters, the whole shebang.  
And he’s sitting here, the conversation flowing easily, and just waiting for something to go wrong. 

And it does. 

“Oh my gosh, you’re Taako!” He hears someone say behind him. Grimacing, he turns around to see a waitress, her eyes starstruck. “From TV!” 

He grins, putting that TV charm to use when he says; 

“Yep, that’s me.” 

She pouts and continues; “I saw you in my home town a few years ago. I heard you’d stopped, why?” 

He laughs nervously, waving her question off, but paling at the idea of Kravitz finding out. 

“Just went in different directions with my partner, y’know? Thought it’d be best if I just took a break.” 

“Your partner? Sazed? Is that why he’s incarcerated?” 

He flinches at the name, taking a deep breath and replacing that fear with another smirk. 

“Yes. I’m not answering anymore questions, thanks.” He strides out the room before the girl has a chance to take another breath, realising he’s left Kravitz behind too late. That, and he’d definitely heard all that conversation. And he’d definitely have questions.  
Right on cue – and Taako is going to elect to ignore those tears slipping down his cheeks – he hears a familiar name shouting his name, followed by; 

“Are you okay?” 

And he almost yells in frustration, stopping right in his tracks at the same time. 

“Why are you so nice?!” He chooses to yell back. Kravitz has stopped as well. “Even now! You’re stopping there to give me space! Don’t you get it yet?!” 

Kravitz has this upset look on his face, one that makes Taako’s heart do all kinds of twists and turns, tying itself in a knot. 

“You don’t get it,” Taako mumbles. “Why don’t you hate me?” 

“I don’t hate you, Taako. I don’t think I can,” Kravitz says, taking several steps to get closer to Taako, until they’re close enough to touch if they wanted to. “You’re… amazing.  
You’re funny, witty, and if you don’t mind me saying, rather attractive.” 

“The lives of fourty people, Kravitz. Those people died because of me. Do you understand that?” 

There’s this long pause, in which terrifyingly, Kravitz doesn’t react. He doesn’t say a word. Then he gives this little, soft smile and Taako comes so close to breaking down right then and there. 

Instead, Kravitz takes Taako’s hand, and says; 

“I have a hard time believing anything like that was your fault, Taako. I have an idea – why don’t you sit down, tell me the whole story. We can make it a second date.” 

Taako, for not the first time this evening, is baffled. 

“But – I just told you – God, are you always this – this way?” Taako says, shaking his head. “Fine. Same place same time?” 

“Perhaps a different place. Your apartment?” Kravitz shakes his head. “We can sort it out later. For now, can I kiss you, maybe?” 

Taako doesn’t know why he says yes, but he does, and they’re kissing, and it’s incredible. 

Maybe this is okay, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> im dying this fic killed me. but its finished so
> 
> this is my first time writing for taz! so please be lenient with me! thx!
> 
> tumblr: wildberrytrans or gabblewriteswhump


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